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Published on: February 1, 2016
Constructing an interspace in MnO@NC microspheres for superior lithium ion battery anodes
Feiran Chen1, Zheng Liu1, Nan Yu1
1College of Chemistry and Materials Science, The Key Laboratory of Electrochemical Clean Energy of Anhui Higher Education Institutes, Anhui Provincial Engineering Laboratory for New-Energy Vehicle Battery Energy-Storage Materials, Anhui Normal University, Wuhu, 241002, China. bygeng@mail.ahnu.edu.cn.
This study introduces a novel nitrogen-carbon (NC) coated manganese oxide (MnO) microsphere structure with silica nanospheres. This design enhances battery performance by providing conductivity and mitigating volume expansion, achieving high specific capacity over extended cycles.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Electrochemistry
- Nanotechnology
Background:
- Manganese oxide (MnO) materials are promising for energy storage but suffer from volume expansion during cycling.
- Developing stable and high-performance electrode materials is crucial for advanced battery technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To engineer a unique nanostructure of nitrogen-carbon (NC) coated MnO microspheres to improve electrochemical performance.
- To mitigate the volume expansion issue of MnO during battery cycling through structural design.
Main Methods:
- Synthesis of MnO microspheres coated with a nitrogen-carbon (NC) layer using silica nanospheres as a template.
- Etching process to create an interspace between the NC layer and MnO core.
- Electrochemical testing to evaluate specific capacity, cycling stability, and rate capability.
Main Results:
- The developed NC-coated MnO microspheres exhibited a specific capacity of 1143.93 mA h g-1 after 200 cycles at 0.2 A g-1.
- A capacity of 726.96 mA h g-1 was maintained after 450 cycles at a high current density of 1 A g-1.
- The unique structure effectively protected the MnO microspheres and accommodated volume changes.
Conclusions:
- The novel NC-coated MnO microsphere structure with an internal void space significantly enhances electrochemical performance.
- The integrated design provides both conductivity and volume buffering, leading to superior cycling stability and rate capability for MnO-based electrodes.
